Background: Recently, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) put forth their latest expectations of residents using Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA). Furthermore, prompted by an interest in improving the health of the population, enhancing the experience and outcome of the patient, and reducing the per capita cost of care, Jersey City Medical Center implemented a redesign in Graduate Medical Education (GME) by creating an elective rotation offered to 4th year medical school student called Healthcare Leadership and Innovation.
Purpose: The objectives of the redesign of post Graduate Medical Education at Jersey City Medical Center includes: 1. Leading a quality improvement project with measurable outcomes 2. Reducing the cost of care for patients 3. Improving the patient experience 4. Reducing the use of diagnostic and screening test using evidence-based medicine 5. Improve physician satisfaction. The redesign effectively implements core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA). These EPAs have been developed by the AAMC and ACGME to provide guidance for medical education to ensure the success of a residency program. Through the encouragement of evidence- based medicine, this redesign will make a profound and positive impact while delivering high quality, compassionate, family-centered care to the community.
Description: The implementation of this innovative curriculum is to provide an education that integrates formal “classroom” knowledge with clinical experience and thereby prepares students for all career options in medicine. It provides students with a patient-centered and disease-focused medical education outside the walls of the hospital which includes patient home visits alongside clinical nurse navigators from our state and national award-winning patient navigation program. Also, students have the opportunity to participate in lean six sigma performance improvement initiatives alongside both clinical and non-clinical directors to promote multidisciplinary collaboration. Students work autonomously and as part of a team as they develop the communication and cultural competency skills that will be necessary as we enter an evolved healthcare system that will be required to practice medicine. As such, foundational knowledge, integrated clinical skills, professional development, scholarship, and research are built upon throughout the curriculum.
Conclusions: The redesign in Graduate Medical Education at Jersey City Medical Center has proven to be an effective approach as it has encouraged further multidisciplinary collaborations. Approximately 200 students have completed the rotation as a 4th-year medical student since inception. Also, there are currently 53 residents in the internal medicine program that are now engaged in a quality improvement project. Post survey after the conclusion of the rotation: 95. 6% of the enrolled students agreed that the rotation provided a good understanding of the barriers that healthcare leaders face today, 93. 4% agreed that the instructors were able to stimulate interesting discussions and 97. 9% agreed that the rotation met their expectations. The initiative has supported patients and families to be fully engaged in treatment plans which have resulted in better overall health outcomes, fewer inpatient hospitalizations, and readmissions.